Power Steering Proplems - BMW Forum

WhiteBeemer · 02-03-2006, 09:45 AM

Excuse the mistake in the title...

I'm not sure it's the power steering but here's my situation...

I have a '99 323i. I recently noticed that if I turn the wheel while the car is cold it makes a loud sound, sorta sounds like grinding or wihining. Once the car is warm I don't hear it tho... The steering wheel is still loose and everything but this sound is just making my Beemer weak... I took it for an oil change about a week ago and told them about the problem, this is what they told me "Some cars just do that in the cold. As long as you don't hear it once the car is warm don't worry about it" mind you, this was not a BMW dealership... Has anyone else had a problem like this? I could really use some advice...

peterkulesza · 02-05-2006, 02:56 PM

car is standing or in motion? left or right? moaning "uauuaiuuuauuua" or grinding "hrhrhrhrrrr"?

WhiteBeemer · 02-06-2006, 06:53 AM

It happens whenever I trun the wheel wether the car is in motion or not. Honestly, I really cant tell if it's a grinding noise or a whining noise. I'm just pretty sure there is something wrong... Like I said before, once the car has warmed up for about 20 or 30 min's I don't hear it anymore. PLEASE HELP!

jehu3 · 02-08-2006, 07:42 AM

That's what mine was doing before the pump failed. Change the fluid soon and you may save the pump. I sucked it out with one of the vacuum pump things. Then refill reservoir, run it some and do it again, repeat a few times. Better yet, replace the reservoir especially on a car this old.
There is a filter in the bottom of the reservoir, its not serviceable, just replace reservoir; about $40.
If you don't catch it soon enough the pump will fail, you'll know that by the difficult steering, though the car can be driven.